Article provided by Ben Ballard, Complete Removals

As moving day approaches it is easy to be left wondering what you should be doing to get prepared.

You’ve taken all the first steps, your addresses are changed, your utility transfers are pending.

So much time and effort has gone into organizing and preparing for the transition from one home to another….yet there is one lingering question that remains;

What can I do before my removalists arrive that can help to ensure the smoothest moving day possible? We won’t be focusing on the most obvious tips, such as:

• make sure all of your packing is done,
• have your furniture already disassembled,
• make sure your dog is tied up
• and so on

Instead, we will focus on some of the less intuitive tips, things that don’t always occur at the front of our minds!

Clear your driveway
Nothing adds that extra degree of pressure quite like having a rumbling truck clogging up your street as  you frantically grab keys and get the cars out of the drive way.

Your neighbours exchange frustrated glances, some obnoxious drivers who have been inconvenienced for 30 seconds decide this is a pristine opportunity to show their lack of satisfaction by using their horn.

Heavens forbid it is bin day and there is another truck that needs to get through!

If you have available space on your lawn that can be a great place to tuck the cars away during the load up; it keeps them close enough you can still get to your car to place smaller personal items into it.

A few days before moving it may also be a good idea to check if there are any height restrictions for your driveway; This can include branches of trees, power lines, car ports and verandas. The average height of a furniture removals truck is just over 4 meters!

Remember: Even if the truck isn’t going to fit in the drive way, it is still important to have it cleared; this allows for a wide well surfaced path that the furniture can be moved down.

Arrange Parking for the truck
When your house is in North Adelaide, The CBD, Norwood, Glenelg or other similarly built up areas, there is a good chance that parking will be limited outside your place.

It can be a very frustrating experience for all involved when a removals truck is sent to loop the block time and time again hoping that a park will become available.

One option is to contact the council and arrange to have a car park set aside; some councils however will try and capitalize on this request!

Another option is to use your own vehicle to claim the park early, remember you will have to park in such a way that you are blocking multiple parks, due to the extra length required for a truck.

Other times our customers have been super prepared and organized some orange witches hats with which they block off certain parking areas near their homes!

Moving to or from an Apartment? Arrange elevator access
This section only really applies to apartment and unit moves in which the items need to be brought up or down by using an elevator.

When asking many clients if they have secured the elevator key for their move I am often left with a rather odd look.

Frequently I am told that you don’t need a key- the elevator will work without one; other times I am handed the swipe card which unlocks the certain floors. Many people do not realize that elevators have the capacity to be ‘locked off’ and essentially reserved.

Once the elevator is locked off the doors will not close until the ‘close doors’ button has been pressed; and best of all no one can summon the elevator to a different floor! Locking it off will give your removalists full and unabridged use of the elevator.

The key is obtained by speaking to the building’s maintenance supervisor; often this will be the same person that hangs canvas sheeting up in the elevators in order to protect their interiors.

Prop all doors open
Screen doors almost always have the little metal toggle that can be slid up the hydraulic mechanism which stops the door from closing.

It is not uncommon for these toggles or mechanisms to stop working properly; in this instance you are best off tying the door open or propping it open with something heavy.

Having your doors stuck in a full open position saves quite a bit of time and is one very simple step you can make to get the ball rolling on move day.

Remember: Even though the front door will most likely be the closest door to the truck, there will be times that your removalists will opt to use a back door or side door. It all depends on the type of access that they get and which door they decide will be the easiest to manoeuvre the furniture through.

Ask More Questions
Never be afraid to contact us in order to explain anything that you need some more clarity on!

You will always find a friendly response on the other line, ready to help you feel confident that moving day is going to be far easier than you ever imagined!